Functional thin films and coatings continue to be an innovative area in materials science & engineering. For example, novel thin films and coatings are being developed with unusual structural, abrasive, adaptive, bioactive, self-healing, and optical properties. The objective of this symposium is to provide a forum to identify critical problems, stimulate new ideas, provide promising solutions, as well as discuss fundamental and applied topics. The specific areas of interest include but are not limited to: